Timeline of African countries enactment of Freedom of Information Acts
As of 2021, only 10 African countries have enacted a Freedom of Information (FOI) Act with three of these countries enacting theirs in 2011. South Africa was the first country on the continent to enact a FOI act in 2001.
Somalia has the lowest AIDI score in Africa at 7.10, reflecting extremely poor infrastructure across all sectors.
South Sudan (7.38) and Niger (8.12) rank slightly higher, showing similarly weak infrastructure profiles.
Ethiopia (13.09) and the Central African Republic (13.23), though more advanced than others on the list, still score under 15.
Nigeria's AIDI score of 25.70, while not high by global standards, is more than three times higher than Somalia’s, indicating major disparities in infrastructure across the continent.
Goodluck Jonathan's era (2010–2015) delivered the highest AIDI growth, with a CAGR of 6.84%, more than double that of his successor.
Muhammadu Buhari’s administration saw steady but slower growth, with a CAGR of 2.63%, increasing the score from 20.60 in 2016 to 25.70 in 2024.
Musa Yar’Adua’s brief tenure (2007–2010) still managed a solid CAGR of 4.26%, indicating promising momentum that was cut short.
Nigeria's AIDI score rose from 8.61 in 2003 to 25.70 in 2024, nearly tripling in two decades.
Obasanjo’s tenure saw the slowest growth, with only a 2.59% CAGR, suggesting limited infrastructure expansion in the early 2000s.
The fastest absolute annual increase occurred between 2010 and 2014, when scores jumped by over 2 points per year.
Despite steady growth, Nigeria's 2024 score of 25.70 still places it far from top performers in Africa, showing that significant infrastructure gaps remain.